The present invention relates generally to amusement games, and more particularly to a novel pinball type game device including a play surface having various scoring targets and the like thereon, and which employs two distinct game elements, such as game balls, conditioned by a control circuit so that only one ball may be propelled onto the play surface at a given time and in a sequence unknown to the player, and wherein the scoring value for one or more of the targets is increased to provide bonus scoring for a selected one of the game balls.
Pinball type game devices of the type wherein game elements, such as game balls, may be propelled onto a play surface by a player so as to traverse a path determined by gravity and by player operated control means such that a game ball engages one or more scoring targets on the play surface, are generally known. Conventionally, the play surfaces of pinball type games are inclined downwardly toward the player, and a ball shooter mechanism enables the player to initiate movement of a game ball onto the play surface. The game ball gravitates toward the lower end of the play surface through lane forming elements such as bumpers of various forms, guide rails and operator controlled flippers which enable the operator to propel the ball toward various targets on and scoring openings in the play surface. The various targets and scoring openings have sensors which are conventionally connected in electronic circuits operative to activate scoring mechanisms and provide a scoring display with or without associated audible and visual effects. By selective actuation of the flippers, the operator can maintain the ball in play so as to maximize the number of targets and scoring openings engaged by the game ball and thus increase the game score attained.
While pinball games of the aforementioned type have been available for many years, they have for the most part employed hard wired electro-mechanical controls wherein the various target and scoring opening input switches are connected directly to the scoring mechanism and associated display lights and the like. More recent pinball type games have employed programmed logic arrays in the form of sequential logic microprocessors which are operative to sense the various target switch conditions in response to ball activation thereof and activate the scoring displays, etc. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,232 to D. J. Nutting, et al.
One characteristic common to most prior pinball type games is that each player has a substantially equal opportunity to obtain a game score as high as each other player for each ball propelled onto the play surface, the score for each ball played being a function of the number and/or combination of scoring elements engaged by the ball during play. Any bonus that might result from play of the particular game is generally in the form of an additional game play in response to attaining a predetermined minimum score during the previous game play. Thus, while prior pinball games have found generally wide acceptance as amusement games, when they are played on a competitive basis as by a player playing against his prior game score or by two or more competing players playing either in alternate player fashion or by each player completing a full game before the next player begins, if a player falls behind other players in score level attained, it is difficult for the trailing player to overcome his opponent.